Five-millimeter and smaller embryos without embryonic cardiac activity: outcomes in women with vaginal bleeding.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes in embryos with a crown-rump length (CRL) of 5 mm or less without embryonic cardiac activity (ECA) among pregnant women with vaginal bleeding in the first trimester.


METHODS
A retrospective study of all first-trimester sonograms in women with vaginal bleeding from 1999 to 2002 was conducted.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven embryos without detectable ECA that had a CRL of 5 mm or less were identified. All resulted in pregnancy failure. The breakdown of these embryos by CRL was as follows: 13 were 5 mm; 10 ranged from 4 to 4.9 mm; 11 ranged from 3 to 3.9 mm; and 3 ranged from 2 to 2.9 mm.


CONCLUSIONS
In pregnant women with vaginal bleeding, embryos of 5 mm and smaller without a heartbeat all resulted in pregnancy failure.
Aziz
Seerat
S
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, California USA.
Cho
Richard C
RC
Baker
Diana B
DB
Chhor
Chloe
C
Filly
Roy A
RA
D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*